(a) Area of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems for hair grooming.
(b) Prior Art
The present invention relates to a hair grooming system in the nature of a kit in which a solid or viscous material to be employed in the hair grooming process is provided within an absorptive pad which is part of the kit.
Efforts in the prior art to integrate absorptive material into a brush or the like which, in turn, would be provided with an oil or other grooming material are rare in the and, to the knowledge of the inventor, only appear in U.S. Pat. No. 70,194 (1867) to George and et al, entitled Hair Brush; U.S. Pat. No. 4,289,153 (1981) to Paccione, entitled Hair Styling Device; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,213,129 (2001) to Muldoon, entitled Cradle Cap Kit.
The above reference to George, et al relates to a sponge, layers of cotton, or the like which are embedded within a brush for the purpose of controlling the movement and retention of oil or other grooming material which a user may wish to employ during the use of the brush. Therein, no means exists to assure the retention of the sponge or absorbent material in a manner convenient to long term usage and which would minimize evaporation of the oil or other material from the sponge.
The above reference to Paccione is essentially a hair styling device which contains therein chambers for the storage of two different types of liquid which may be selectably discharged during the hair styling process. The present invention does not address a system for use by professional hair stylists, nor does it provides means for the mechanical dispensing of liquid or viscous material during the hair styling process.
The reference to Muldoon contains many similarities to that of Paccione and, further, is limited in its application to infants and the problems of the scalp of infants known as cradle cap. The present invention has no such pediatric application.
Mascara kits are known that include a supply of the mascara material to assure that the mascara brush is constantly provided with sufficient material to provide a “wet look” when the same is applied to the eyelashes, this as is reflected in U.S. Pat. No. 6,062,757 (2000) to Gueret, entitled Portable Packaging Unit For A Product Such As Mascara.
Toothbrushes have been suggested which are provided with an internal supply of tooth cleaning liquid or paste, as is reflected in U.S. Pat. No. 4,628,564 (1986) to Youssef and U.S. Pat. No. 5,783,249 (1998) to Sanduja, et al.
Further, the prior art includes shoe polish kits in which the bristles of a brush kit may contact shoe polish within a base portion of the kit, as is reflected in U.S. Pat. No. 5,188,472 (1993) to Sgro, entitled Shoe Polish Application Kit. The present invention applies to certain of the principles of Sgro to provide an improved hair grooming kit in which an absorptive pad thereof may be selectably replaced to change or replenish the grooming substance which the user desires to employ in association with a brush portion of the kit.